Sakurayu in Kusatsu, Shiga: A Small Sento Near the Station
This local sento is a six-minute walk from JR Kusatsu Station in Shiga—not the Gunma resort. Check its fare and Sunday closure before visiting.
Sakurayu is a local sento in Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture. It is not the famous Kusatsu Onsen resort in Gunma: this bathhouse is in the shopping streets beside JR Kusatsu Station, roughly six minutes on foot from the station according to the local business listing. Its draw is a straightforward bath and a small sauna, not a resort-style spa or a documented natural hot spring.
Sakurayu uses natural groundwater heated with firewood. Its classification as a natural hot spring is unconfirmed; no current spring analysis or source data is published. It is listed as a sento.
A neighbourhood bath with a three-person sauna
The local directory lists a jet bath, a shallow bath, a sauna and a cold plunge. It describes the sauna as small, with room for about three people. At busy times, expect to wait your turn rather than move through a large sauna circuit. The listed facilities are modest; there is no evidence of a lounge, restaurant, stone-sauna area or extensive outdoor bathing zone.
Sakurayu suits a short stop if you are staying around Kusatsu Station or want a simple bath before heading back to your hotel. Bring a small towel and your own toiletries: a complete current amenities list is not available, and the sources checked do not confirm that towels or washing products are included.
Current listed price and opening hours
Sakurayu’s latest local listing gives an adult fare of ¥490 and hours of 2–10 p.m.; it closes on Sundays. The fare is not posted on a dedicated live Sakurayu website.
Shiga Prefecture’s regulated maximum fares change on October 1, 2026. These are ceilings, not Sakurayu’s confirmed prices.
| Visitor | Sakurayu latest listed fare | Prefectural maximum from Oct. 1, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Adult (age 12 and over) | ¥490 | ¥550 |
| Child (age 6 to under 12) | Not listed | ¥200 |
| Younger child | Not listed | ¥100 |
| Planning detail | Latest information found |
|---|---|
| Adult admission | ¥490 listed; confirm at the bathhouse |
| Usual hours | 2 p.m.–10 p.m. |
| Regular closing day | Sunday |
| From JR Kusatsu Station | About a six-minute walk in the local listing |
| Address | 1-16-6 Oji, Kusatsu, Shiga |
| Phone | 077-562-0445 |
The local listing says there are six parking spaces, but this is a small station-area bathhouse, not a large public car park. Walking from the station is the simpler option if you are staying nearby. Holiday and maintenance changes are not covered by the regular schedule above; check before making a special trip.
What the groundwater claim does—and does not—mean
Sakurayu’s local introduction says it uses groundwater and heats the bathing water with firewood. Neither detail alone makes it a natural hot spring under Japan’s hot-spring rules. The public information reviewed does not provide a verifiable spring name, water quality, source temperature, flow rate or analysis certificate.
The same caution applies to the cold plunge. Some sauna directories and dated visitor logs describe it as groundwater-fed, but there is no current operator specification confirming that every bath is continuously supplied with untreated water. The available information does not establish a fixed cold-plunge temperature either.
The listed adult fare is ¥490, but whether sauna use is included in that amount is not clearly stated by a current direct operator source. Ask at the counter if the sauna is central to your visit, especially after Shiga’s regulated maximum changes in October.
Is Sakurayu a good fit?
Choose it for a low-key sento close to JR Kusatsu Station, particularly if you already have your own towel and toiletries. It is a less suitable choice if you need a confirmed natural onsen, a large sauna, a long-stay lounge, a Sunday visit or a late-night bath.
For a larger facility with a documented natural spring, compare Kusatsu Yumoto Suisyun once that guide is available. For other Shiga bathing options, see the Kutsuki Onsen Tenkuu guide and Shimizuyu in Koka.
